In large scale computing systems, a backplane is used to mount a number of storage drives and network communication devices, such as Disk Arrays, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) Subsystems, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) and Fiber Channel (FC) Disk Array or Switched Disk Array Servers, and Telecommunication Equipment. A host bus adapter (HBA) is used to facilitate the communication between a host computer and the backplane, and allows the host computer to monitor and manage the storage and network devices installed on the backplane. The HBA provides an operator with detailed information regarding the presence and status of mass storage devices and network devices, and provides facilities for generating visual indicators based upon backplane management data received from the HBA of the host computer. For instance, individual light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) may be driven by a backplane for displaying information regarding the activity, failure, rebuild status, and other information for each of the mass storage devices connected to the backplane. In order to provide these indicators and other types of functionality, a backplane typically provides connections for multiple mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives. The backplane also interfaces with an HBA and provides an interface through which the HBA may communicate with the mass storage devices. A backplane also may receive and transmit backplane management data to and from the HBA. Backplane management data is any data relating to the provision of backplane management services by a backplane.
Several different physical interfaces may be utilized to deliver backplane management data between an HBA and a backplane. For instance, some Serial Attached SCSI (“SAS”)-compatible HBAs are equipped with a serial general purpose input/output interface (“SGPIO”). Some Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (“SATA”)-compatible HBAs, on the other hand, utilize a control or management bus, such as the system management bus, to exchange backplane management data between the backplane and the HBA. For various reasons, some vendors have decided on some HBA models, to implement a backplane management protocol based on the SMBus, even for SAS HBAs, which could be for backward compatibility reasons with SATA backplanes.
The particular protocol utilized to transfer backplane management data between the backplane and the HBA may also vary from vendor to vendor. However, the most popular protocols used in the backplane management are: the SCSI Enclosure Services (or SES) utilizing the system management bus (or I2C bus), and the SGPIO protocol utilizing an SGPIO interface to exchange backplane management information between the HBA and the backplane.
Both software and hardware of newly developed enclosure management controller need to be tested for its compatibility with HBAs of various manufactures. In order to provide backplane solutions supporting the various physical interfaces for exchanging backplane management data, the various standard protocols for exchanging backplane management data, and the various manufacturer-specific protocols for exchanging backplane management data, it has previously been necessary to provide HBAs from various manufacturers, and configured for each particular combination of physical interface and protocol to ascertain the software and hardware of newly developed enclosure management controller (EMC) support standard SGPIO commands. However, providing a separate HBA for each combination of physical interface and protocol can be extremely cost-inefficient and time consuming. Conventionally, in order to ascertain compatibility with various vendors' HBA, many actual HBAs were ordered from various vendors to be tested with the new EMCs. But this process can be very costly and time consuming, because a large number of HBAs have to be ordered from various vendors and tested with the hardware and software of the new EMC. For example, it took about one and a half month to two months to test each HBA from one vendor.
Therefore, heretofore unaddressed needs still exist in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.